


Seven Nights

by wynterelle



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel)
Genre: Awkward First Times, Awkwardness, Blow Jobs, Cardia is an accidental temptress, Cunnilingus, F/M, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, Masturbation, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Victor is a flustered mess, inconvenient boners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:07:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23798179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynterelle/pseuds/wynterelle
Summary: Victor/Cardia continuation immediately after their route. They both want the same thing, but neither of them understand that.
Relationships: Cardia Beckford/Victor Frankenstein
Comments: 26
Kudos: 117





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Rating applicable to later chapters only.
> 
> Cross-posted on Tumblr: thirstyotomehcs

In hindsight, Cardia wasn't sure why she’d acted so perplexed after Victor had become flustered while suggesting they start sleeping together in the same bed.

During her isolated time at the mansion in Wales she had spent a lot of time sleeping. But not the entire time. There was a large library that her father had kept full of carefully curated scientific and medical texts. She had browsed through some to pass the time, but the books were written at such a high level that a beginner with no formal training or background such as herself really had no hope of making head or tail of them.

She'd given up on the library for a while but returned from time to time out of boredom. That is, until she found the small section of books that didn't belong. Instead of medical details and alchemical formulas, these books were filled with wizards, knights, explorers, heroes and villains. The settings ranged from fantastical lands to the high seas.

Cardia poured through the small collection, captivated by the tales of adventure and heroics. She especially loved the stories of knights rescuing fair maidens, all to be rewarded with their hand in marriage. The books focused mostly on the heroic exploits of the men, but the romantic elements stirred particularly strong emotions in her.

About halfway through the shelf, she found it. What would become her favourite. It looked to have never been read, the spine uncreased and the pages crisp. Detailing the thrilling adventures of a lady pirate, it captured her from the start. Disguised as a man, the main character used her wits to outsmart her enemies and rivals, rising in the ranks of her ship until a series of events landed her in the role of captain. Cardia was captivated by the heroine's exploits, vividly imagining the exotic lands and thrilling deeds that were described. She was especially drawn to the chapters that delved into the budding relationship between the main character and her second in command.

Toward the end of the book, there was one scene in particular that kept Cardia awake at night. It described an amorous encounter between the two, resolving a tension that had been building for chapters. The details were glossed over, but it was enough to make Cardia's heart beat fast and her face grow hot. The words gave her some understanding of what passed between a man and a woman, and her imagination ran wild filling in the rest. She wanted that, she realized. She wanted to experience that kind of touch, that kind of passion for herself.

So when Victor proposed that they start sharing a bed, she knew why he was flustered. She knew what he meant when his honesty got the better of him and he admitted that his intentions weren't entirely innocent.

She knew, but she didn't really _know_.

But she wanted to.


	2. First Night

Victor wasn’t sure what had come over him when he’d suggested that he and Cardia share a bed. Thinking back to that morning, he felt terribly embarrassed. He could only think that having spent one night next to her had made him unreasonably bold.

All day, his joy at seeing her cured and at being able to finally kiss her had kept his spirits high. With proof that the antidote kept her poison at bay, he’d spent the afternoon concocting more vials of it and perfecting the process. He knew he had a boyish grin on his face as he tinkered with the lab equipment, but he couldn’t help himself. He was just too overjoyed at the thought of spending more time with the woman he loved, finally able to express their emotions with more than just words.

As evening approached though, his feelings started to mix with nerves. Was he really going to sleep next to her again tonight? Should he? They’d proclaimed their love for each other, but was sharing a bed really appropriate? Did he even care what was appropriate? Did she?

They’d had a relatively uneventful dinner together, with her asking questions about the formula that would suppress her poison, the process involved to create it, how often she had to take it and at what doses.

Answering her questions had kept his mind distracted from his previous ruminations, but as he stood in front of her bedroom door all of his uncertainties came rushing back.

His clothes were still in his former bedroom, so he’d dressed for bed there. He’d debated just sleeping there as well, but he was certain she’d be hurt. How would it seem if the first night she was cured of poison, the man who loved her left her on her own? Besides, he was the one who had asked to sleep together anyway! How could he propose something so forward and then lose the heart to follow through?

It wasn’t like he expected anything from the evening. How could he? She was just getting used to the feeling of being able to  _ touch _ . He'd be lying if he said it wasn't on his mind a little, but he was a gentleman! Maybe in a few months she might be interested in more than just kisses. For now, they were just going to sleep. Why was he so nervous about that? He’d faced off against the queen of the nation, surely he could summon up the courage to sleep next to the woman he loved.

He’d been standing in front of the door for what felt like hours. Finally, he pushed up his glasses and knocked.

“Come in,” came Cardia’s muffled voice through the door.

Taking one last steadying breath, he entered her bedroom. Their bedroom.

She was already tucked into bed, wearing the nightdress he’d had made for her previously. Like all her other clothes, it had full length sleeves and a high collar. Complete with her adorable smile, it was the least intimidating situation he could imagine.

Giving his head a quick shake to dispel the last of his nerves, he smiled back at her. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"That's alright, I'm just so happy we can sleep next to each other. I never thought I'd be able to touch someone, much less sleep next to the person I love."

She was absolutely beaming. How was it possible for her to be so cute? And to love him back? He was so unbelievably lucky. And such an idiot for having been nervous before.

He set his glasses on the nightstand and slid into bed next to her. "I made enough antidote today for the rest of the month. I want to work on the distillation process a bit more to make future batches easier, but it's a good start."

"I really can't thank you enough, Victor," she said softly, reaching out a hand to touch his face. "This is a dream come true for me."

He leaned into her hand and planted a gentle kiss against her palm. "You don't need to thank me. You worked so hard for this too."

She blushed a little and his heart felt full of butterflies. He leaned forward to give her a light kiss, taking in the sight of her perfect face, before reaching back to turn off the light.

"Sweet dreams, Cardia," he whispered, settling in against his pillow.

Her hand felt out his under the covers and he positively melted at the gesture.

"Sweet dreams, Victor."

***

He awoke gently to the soft light of morning filtering in through the edges of the curtains.

Next to him, Cardia stirred softly, her face relaxed and peaceful as she began to awaken. He was truly the luckiest man on earth to have her be the first and last thing he saw each day.

She opened her eyes and a gentle smile lit across her face.

"Victor," she sighed softly and slid towards him under the covers, burrowing into his arms.

If this was going to be his life from now on, he would be perpetually happy. She looked up at him from within his embrace, tilting her chin up for a kiss.

Their lips met gently at first, just a light touch, before both of them pressed closer, deepening the kiss.

Victor froze.

He realized he had a slight... morning affliction.

Except that it was not slight at all. Quite the opposite in fact. And it was suddenly very distracting.

He pushed Cardia away to arms length. Had she felt it? She must have. What must she think of him? It was a perfectly natural morning occurrence, but for it to happen the first morning after he proposed they share a bed... He wouldn't be surprised if she thought he was the worst sort of man.

Then he saw the look on her face. Even without his glasses on, he could see that she was devastated. He'd just pushed her away after she'd made one of her first attempts to touch another person. After she'd just stopped thinking of herself as a monster.

The reasonable thing to do would be to apologize and maybe, just maybe, awkwardly explain that it was entirely on him that he preferred to avoid snuggling up together this morning. Instead, his mind panicked.

"We still need to be careful of the poison!" he blurted out.

No! What was wrong with him? That was the worst excuse!

Now her face registered both hurt and confusion. “But didn’t you say at dinner that I only need to take the antidote once a week?”

He had said that, hadn’t he?

“Oh. Um, yes that’s right.” He cast around for some plausible reason, aware that he was just digging himself deeper. It proved very difficult to think, with his mind completely consumed by his problem beneath the covers.

“What I meant to say was that you only need to take it once a week after you have a… Um..." What was that word! What cruelty was this that his intellect had suddenly deserted him? He cleared his throat to buy more time. “Until you have a– a loading dose!”

"A... what?" She frowned and he felt so, so bad. He was just the worst and didn't deserve her.

But he  _ really _ needed her to stay back until his insistent problem went away. He considered fleeing the room, but despite his increasing shame, his situation showed no sign of abating. She would absolutely notice if he stood up.

"Just for today, you need an extra dose of the antidote to make absolutely sure everything stays safe."

Her expression cleared. "Oh, of course. That makes sense. So, I didn't hurt you?"

"No." Was that his voice? Why did it sound so strangled?

"Oh thank goodness." She pressed a hand to her chest in relief. "I'll go take a dose right away to be safe."

As Cardia left the room to go retrieve some antidote, Victor buried his face into his pillow. Maybe he would just suffocate. But he was not that lucky.

He waited until her footsteps faded down the hall, before throwing off the covers and all but running to take the coldest shower he could stand.


	3. Second Night

Cardia had to admit she was a bit perplexed by the events of that morning.

Everything had started so well, waking up next to Victor. He'd been so handsome next to her in the morning light, she’d half believed she was still dreaming. But then, as always, the threat of the horologium's poison brought her back to reality.

She was disappointed, but knew there would be other opportunities to stay in bed all morning. Other opportunities to kiss him as much as she liked. To touch him at last.

She supposed he was a bit put out as well, since he'd seemed distracted all morning. After taking a vial of antidote, she'd returned to their room, only to find him gone. He must have been very out of sorts indeed, as he'd even forgotten to take his glasses from the nightstand.

He was especially timid during breakfast, wearing the look she knew by now meant he was feeling guilty about something. She wanted to tell him it was fine that he’d forgotten to tell her she needed to double-up on antidote at first. After all, she was feeling it too - an almost giddy feeling at the thought of all they had overcome, at the knowledge that they could finally be together, safe and happy. It was almost overwhelming to think about, really. She didn't blame him at all for having something slip his mind. It was perfectly understandable.

After a quick breakfast, Victor had retreated to his lab to continue perfecting the process of distilling the new antidote. 

This left Cardia with a lot of time on her hands. While she'd lived at the mansion for a while and had certainly looked around, she hadn't fully explored it. So that's what she set out to do.

***

How was it possible for there to be so many bedrooms? Even the mansion in Wales paled in comparison to the size of Saint-Germain's home. Now her home. It was still strange to think about.

It was even more odd to at last get to _touch_ all of the curiosities throughout the mansion. She took her time moving through each room, running her hands along anything that caught her eye. Fabrics that led her to an understanding of the phrase 'smooth as silk', stone carvings that were cool to the touch, tapestries on which she could feel each individual thread.

With her mind swept up in this sensory overload, she didn't even notice as she worked her way towards a familiar room. Opening the door, she was overcome with a sudden feeling of familiarity. Victor was still occupied in his lab elsewhere in the mansion, but even without his presence, the bedroom was unmistakably his.

Of course, she'd been to his room before so he knew how it looked. Organized and tidy, except for the pile of books and scribbled notes stacked on the nightstand. It wasn’t like any of the newcomers to the mansion had been in a position to bring many personal belongings anyway.

She made to leave, but then paused. They shared a room now, so wouldn't he have to move his things soon? With the work he was doing today, he likely wouldn't get the chance.

It wouldn't take her long to move his few things to their new bedroom, and she didn't have anything more pressing to do.

It was the least she could do to help.

***

After she'd moved Victor's belongings into their shared room, Cardia continued her exploration of the mansion. She'd looked around before, but being able to touch and feel all the oddities Saint-Germain had collected spurred her on to leave no room uninvestigated.

Opening a door at the end of a particularly long hallway, the smell of paper and ink hit her with a sudden wave of nostalgia. The room was dark, the curtains drawn, but she knew instantly what it contained.

She moved to the far side of the room and threw open the curtains, illuminating rows upon rows of books. More than she had ever seen.

Running her hand along the different textures of the spines of the books was marvelous. She'd always dreamed of being able to do this, of feeling the bindings under her fingertips, the imprint of letters in the range of materials.

There were so many to explore, where did she even start? Scanning the titles, she quickly realized to her delight that unlike the mansion in Wales, this library was entirely dedicated to works of fiction. Not a dry medical text in sight.

Working her way through the shelves, she picked out titles that caught her eye. It all seemed arranged by author, so she wasn't too concerned about having to put them back in order after. She had already accumulated a good pile of selected titles when she reached a familiar name.

Cardia smiled to herself as her fingers landed on the book she knew so well. The one that had kept her imagination fired through long days and nights of solitude in Wales. The one about the lady pirate.

And even better, shelved next to it was a sequel!

Cardia plucked the sequel from the shelf, promptly forgetting about the other books she'd gathered. Settling into a plush chair in the centre of the room, she lost herself in the continuation of her much beloved tale.

***

The author did not disappoint. There were sword fights, dramatic rescues, daring escapes. Everything that made Cardia's heart pound.

Including _several_ romantic interludes.

The author had grown more bold in this book. Not just with more spicy scenes, but much more vivid descriptions as well. It might be a work of fiction, but she was learning _a lot_.

It got her thinking about Victor. How could it not?

Would things feel like that with him? Would he use his lips, his tongue in such ways? Under his hands, his body, would she experience the same sort of feelings the heroine in the book described?

With her imagination running wild, Cardia felt a little embarrassed. Did Victor have these kind of thoughts about her? Surely not. Surely this was just her long isolation manifesting unusual thoughts and desires. Victor had become flustered the other day when suggesting they share a bed and had admitted his intentions weren’t entirely innocent. But last night he’d made no move to initiate any of the things the book described. Sadly, she must have misinterpreted him before regarding his intentions. He remained gentle and sweet as always.

She kept reading, but as the scenes progressed she couldn't help but picture them.

"Oh goodness," she gasped at one particularly lurid passage, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. She shifted a little in the chair.

"Sorry to disturb you, but I need a second pair of hands in the lab."

Cardia slammed the book shut.

Victor was in the doorway, apologetic expression on his face. "I thought I'd be fine to run these tests on my own, but it turns out an assistant is required after all."

"O-of course." She hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt.

She followed him to the lab, taking the chance to get her heart rate under control.

The work was dry and as expected. Holding things, stirring, reading out or recording measurements. It wasn't difficult though, and Cardia found her eyes and mind wandering.

She stole glances at Victor as he worked. He was so focused, and she found that wonderfully endearing. Would he be so focused on her if they recreated some of the scenes from the book?

Where had that thought come from?! She gave her head a shake and tried to concentrate.

It was no use though. She kept noticing him. His capable hands, his focused gaze, his broad shoulders. Did he think of her the same way?

Between her thoughts and the burners keeping various vials at the right temperatures, Cardia found herself becoming quite warm. She'd always had to keep her clothes buttoned up as high as they could go, but now realized that wasn't necessary. Finding the millionth reason to be grateful for her suppressed poison, she undid a few buttons on her blouse, enough to expose most of the horologium. That actually helped quite a bit. Refocused, she bent over her notebook and got back to work taking measurements.

She was almost done recording her observations, sighing contentedly as she pulled her blouse open a little to allow in more air. Hearing a strangled sound, she glanced up to see Victor looking at her.

"Is something wrong?"

She'd been distracted, maybe she had forgotten to do something.

"No!" he said quickly. "Nothing's wrong."

His face was red. Maybe the heat was getting to him too.

"Are you feeling alright?" she frowned and stepped towards him. He stepped back, bumping into the table behind him.

If he was unsteady on his feet, perhaps something was really wrong! Was there not enough ventilation in the room? Had he spent too long near all the fumes?

Concerned, Cardia leaned in close. He seemed fine, but was becoming increasingly flushed.

"Maybe you need a break?" she suggested, bringing her hand to rest on his arm. Feeling how firm his muscles were beneath his thick clothes, she gave his arm a slight squeeze before she even realized what she was doing. "It's dinner time anyway."

"Right! Dinner." His voice was a little too high.

He was definitely not feeling like his usual self. He must be working too hard! Cardia felt badly that she hadn't come to help him in the lab earlier. He was so responsible and hard-working. What had she done to deserve the love of such a wonderful man?

She slid her hand down his arm and took his hand in hers. She couldn't keep the admiration from her gaze as she looked up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

"It's getting late, let's go eat. You'll feel much better after."

Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned up against him to plant a quick kiss against his lips, before turning to leave and prepare dinner.

***

Victor was late coming to bed that night. Cardia had already changed into her nightgown and was waiting in bed, wondering if she should go find him.

At last there was a tentative knock at the door.

"Cardia?" Victor's muffled voice sounded uncertain.

"Come in!" She smiled at him as he entered. "This is your room now too," she reminded him. "There's no need to knock."

He smiled sheepishly. "I guess I'm still getting used to this." Pushing up his glasses, he continued, "Um, have you seen my clothes anywhere? They seem to be missing."

She'd _completely_ forgotten.

"I'm so sorry, it slipped my mind! Since you're sleeping here now, I moved them to the wardrobe here."

He blinked. "Right... That makes sense. Of course." He cleared his throat. "I'll just... get my things and get dressed for bed elsewhere."

"You can get changed here. It's your room too."

Was that too forward? Maybe this wasn't totally appropriate at this stage of their relationship.

But neither was sleeping in the same bed, she suspected, and he'd been the one to suggest that.

She turned away while he got ready, although she'd be lying to say she wasn't curious. She knew he was warm and strong under his clothes. Firm where she was soft. She’d seen medical texts before so she knew what men looked like. But she wanted to find out more, to explore him herself. Especially after her reading earlier in the day. Her heart beat faster just thinking about it.

But how exactly did a relationship progress from their gentle kisses to... to what she'd read about? The book was all sparks and fire and words she could never say out loud. It was also fiction, so she knew she shouldn't look to it for any real advice.

Cardia was still working through these thoughts as Victor settled into bed beside her, turning out the lights.

"I forgot to mention," he started as he pulled the covers over his shoulders, "you seemed to be really into your book this afternoon. I was sorry to have to disturb you."

Feeling her face go up in flames, Cardia was very glad the room was dark. He couldn't know what sort of scene she'd been reading when he’d walked in, could he? What would he think of her? Desperate for a change of topic, she tried to think of anything else to discuss.

"Oh, don't think anything of it. I also explored the mansion today! I'd looked around before, but it was so different now being able to touch everything without gloves. I never realized how many different textures there are on so many ordinary objects. It was almost overwhelming to experience it all."

She realized she was babbling, but even through the darkness she could tell he was smiling fondly at her so maybe it was working to distract him from the topic of the book.

"I'm so glad to hear that. You deserve to have all these experiences you've always wanted."

 _Experiences_. Just the word sent her mind back to thoughts of the sort of experiences she’d imagined sharing with him.

She bit her lip and looked towards him. How could she be sure he wasn’t interested in furthering things if she didn’t ask? Perhaps he was just as curious as her after all. Besides, that was as good a lead in as any. She summoned up her courage.

"Speaking of experiences..." How should she say this? "I- I want to touch you."

He swallowed audibly.

"Ah... Cardia..." He shifted beside her in the bed. "You should probably phrase that differently."

What did he mean? It was a fairly straightforward request. How else should she phrase it?

Before she could reformulate, she felt him take her hand in his under the covers and slide closer to her. But not close enough. He moved to rest her palm against the side of his face, before mirroring the touch with his own hand on her cheek.

“I understand what you mean though,” he said softly as he caressed her cheek. She couldn’t help but lean into his touch. It felt so warm, so good. She tried to echo his movements with her own hand against him, but his touch was very distracting.

“Of course you can touch me like this all you want,” he continued, and Cardia’s heart fell a little at his words. Only like this? She must be the only one curious for more after all. "You've waited so long to be able to feel another person this closely. And I have to admit, this is what I want too.”

He leaned over to give her a quick, chaste kiss, before moving his hand to her hair. Cardia closed her eyes as he gently stroked his fingers through her hair. The feeling was so comforting, she couldn't help but close her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips. This was what she had missed all this time. This warmth of being next to another person, of being touched in such a caring way.

Her thoughts and curiosities melted away beneath the slow strokes of his hand. There would be other nights for more, she was sure. Eventually. For now, she just enjoyed the feeling of being so close to the man she loved as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	4. Third Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to start earning that rating.
> 
> They have airships and anti-gravity machines. Surely showers can exist too.

Victor was going to die.

He was sure of it. And it would be the greatest irony. Now cured of her poison, Cardia was going to be the death of him.

Granted, it was probably karma for his embarrassing reaction the other morning. He still burned with shame to think about that. So it was fair. But still.

It was too much. She'd unbuttoned her shirt enough to leave the horologium and the perfect skin at the tops of her breasts exposed. She'd touched him with enough gentle concern to give him shivers. _She'd told him she wanted to touch him._

He knew he needed to calm down. She was obviously just overjoyed to be able to experience touch for the first time. To be close to another person without fear of hurting them. There was no way she harboured similar thoughts to his, and he would rather die than do anything to make her feel uncomfortable.

While they had professed their feelings for each other, their relationship was still relatively new. It was absolutely scandalous that he'd suggested sleeping together. Cardia seemed pleased by their current sleeping arrangement, but now he almost regretted it as he was plagued by persistent, far from innocent thoughts.

Was this normal in a new relationship? To want to do things society deemed improper, to be so consumed with curiosity about the other person that they filled all your waking thoughts?

Honestly, he didn't know. He'd always been so fixated on alchemy and research, he'd never had time or opportunity for relationships. In the past he'd shared a few kisses with a girl who'd been interested in him, had surreptitiously stolen glances at inappropriate illustrations, and of course had heard other men talk, but that was the extent of his experience. Cardia was even more new to this though. What a pair they made!

He knew he should be grateful just to get to wake up next to her. Especially after everything they’d been through. And he was very grateful, of course. But he was also on fire with thoughts of kissing her senseless, along with _many_ other things.

He wasn't even safe in his dreams. 

He'd dreamed about her last night. Which made sense, he supposed, since he'd fallen asleep running his fingers through her hair.

His dreams had been decidedly less innocent than that though. He'd dreamed of soft curves, heated kisses, and enveloping warmth. The sound of her moans had seemed so real.

He'd awoken with his hand where he needed it, already working to give himself the friction his body so desperately craved. Then his mind cleared enough from sleep to realize exactly where he was. And now here he was lying awake beside the love of his life, with an even more urgently pressing issue than the day before.

Ordinarily when these kinds of thoughts and feelings arose, he would take care of the matter on his own and that would be enough to let him go about his day undistracted. But now that they shared a bedroom it wasn't so simple. 

Could he make a run for it while she was still asleep? Dash out of the room and take a cold shower for the second day in a row? There'd be no hiding things if she awoke while he was making his escape though. Looking down at the covers, he realized there was no hiding things even if he stayed.

He glanced over at her. Cardia still seemed fast asleep, but the sun was rising quickly. He had no other choice. It was time to make a stealthy escape.

He bit back a groan as he slid out from under the covers. Even the shifting of fabric against him had his body screaming.

Given his luck, he fully expected her to wake up as he was halfway across the room.

For once, that was not the case. He closed the door behind him with barely a click, and let out the breath he'd been holding. He'd forgotten his glasses again, but they were a necessary sacrifice. 

Making his way to the bathroom, he locked the door behind him and turned the water on as cold as it would go. Stripping off his nightwear, he mentally prepared himself to step into the frigid spray.

Would it really help though? He'd done the same thing yesterday, and while that had worked to eliminate the immediate physical reaction, his thoughts and desires had remained.

It wasn't often that he felt so insistently needy. Maybe he just needed to… deal with it. He considered this for a moment, then turned the shower to a more reasonable temperature. It was worth a try, and it wasn't like it could do any harm.

Stepping under the spray, even the sensation of the water against him set his nerves on fire. He leaned one arm against the shower wall, and allowed the other to drift downwards, letting out a shaky exhale as his hand closed around himself.

After so much pent up frustration, he knew this wouldn't take long. His hand moved in familiar, rhythmic strokes. It had been a while, and combined with the fire that had been racing through him for the past few days, his hips were eager to twitch forward into the motion of his hand.

He tried to clear his mind and just focus on the task, but he couldn't help the thoughts that drifted into his mind. What if last night when she’d said she wanted to touch him, she’d meant it in the same way he wanted? That was impossible of course. But maybe here, in safety behind a locked door, it would be alright to imagine it.

Her hands would be soft as she grasped him, her touch tentative at first before growing more bold. His hand followed his imagination, starting with gentle strokes before gripping firmer, faster. He knew he shouldn't be imagining this - imagining her - but the images rushed to his mind too fast to stop them.

He used his thumb to glide over the sensitive tip, his hips bucking forward at the feeling. He pictured the glint of the horologium over her breasts, imagined how she might use one hand to pinch her own nipples while continuing to pump him. She'd lick her lips and moan his name. His thighs started to tremble uncontrollably. In his thoughts, Cardia dropped to her knees and moved to take him into her mouth.

That particular mental image proved too much. He bit his lip to keep from crying out, jerking his hips hard into his fist as his release washed over him.

Shaking, he braced himself against the wall as he caught his breath, the water washing the evidence away down the drain. 

As the sensations finally subsided, he found that he actually felt much better. Clear headed, relaxed… but also a little guilty.

***

It was difficult to meet Cardia's eyes afterwards. She cheerfully told him about her plans to tackle the maintenance of the mansion and maybe do some shopping, but all he could think about was if she could somehow detect what he'd imagined her doing that morning.

Which led to him thinking about her doing all those things again.

He needed to do something to get her out of his head or he'd be repeating the same scenario every morning. He'd perfected the antidote formula the day before and made more than enough to cover Cardia for months, and he no longer had any reason to concoct other vials for the purpose of fighting.

So, he decided to head out to the Royal Society in search of a job.

Cardia had looked so proud at his decision. She'd clasped her hands together with delight, straightened the collar of his jacket, and saw him off with a kiss. Her adorable sweetness did nothing to ease his guilty conscience.

Fortunately, the Royal Society was more than happy to take him back. Despite all that had passed, he was humbled to find that his research reputation was still very much intact.

He spent a long day discussing theories with his new colleagues and setting up his lab space just as he liked. It was exhilarating to think about what he could do with proper funding, equipment, and a full team of academics.

By the time he headed home late that night, his thoughts were turned to new potential projects and avenues for research. Completely acceptable and appropriate thoughts.

Then he opened the door to their bedroom and found Cardia almost naked.

He froze.

She had on a silky pair of sleep shorts, the drawstring just barely holding them in place on her hips. Her top half was bare except for the horologium and a simple white bra.

All of the mental peace he'd acquired that day evaporated.

"You're finally back!" she exclaimed with delight. Her bra did nothing to hide the way the tops of her breasts moved as she stepped towards him.

She looked up at him expectantly. "So, did they take you back?"

"What?" The shorts were so low he could see the dip of her hip bones.

"The Royal Society. Did they hire you back?"

Was that where he'd been all day? "Y-Yes, they did."

"That's wonderful!" She clapped her hands together before throwing her arms around him in a hug.

Where was he supposed to put his hands when there was so much skin? His arms dangled uncertainly in the air for a moment before he settled for an awkward pat on her head.

"Um, Cardia?" he started as she released him from her arms. "Where are your clothes?"

She looked down at herself, as though realizing her state for the first time.

Her cheeks took on a faint pink tinge as she hastily crossed her arms over her chest. Victor was certain she didn't realize this only served to push her breasts together more.

"I was just dressing as you came in." She turned back to the bed, retrieving a small scrap of a garment. Unhooking the clasp of her bra, he had a brief, clear view of the uninterrupted, porcelain skin of her back. She raised her arms above her head to wriggle into the pajama top, the movement accentuating the curve of her spine, the swell of her hips. "I'm tired of wearing such constricting clothes now that it’s no longer needed. It gets so hot at night. So I bought this while you were out.

"Besides, it's fine." She turned back to him. The silky top was held up by the thinnest straps of material, leaving her arms bare and the horologium on full display. "You've seen my chest like this plenty of times."

“Th-that was in a medical context!” His voice was higher and louder than he would have liked.

Now it was her turn to grow flustered.

“Oh… Well... You get ready. I’ll just…” She gestured towards the bed.

Victor turned away, taking some calming breaths as he dressed for bed. He needed to get used to situations like this, he supposed. This was just his life now.

Cardia turned to face him as he joined her under the covers, her expression dismayed. “I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” she began, unable to meet his eyes, “that wasn’t my intention at all.”

“No, there’s no need to apologize. I just…” He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find the right words.

“It’s fine,” he settled on eventually.

She still looked hurt and uncertain though. He sighed. He was messing this all up again. He took a breath to collect himself, before moving one hand to run through her hair. She’d seemed to find that comforting last night, and the motion was calming to him too.

“It’s fine,” he repeated. “I was just surprised and... ”

Should he say it? He might as well. He could hardly make the situation any more awkward.

“And you’re very beautiful.”

She met his gaze at last, and Victor was relieved to see a slight smile start to bloom across her face. 

“Really?” she asked hopefully.

“Really.”

She smiled fully at this and leaned her head into the movement of his hand. Victor felt so silly at his previous reaction. What had he expected when he’d asked to share a bed? Of course he was going to see her in a state of undress at some point. He should just be thankful that someone as kind, gorgeous, and brave as Cardia was in his life. He adored her, and he never wanted her to feel otherwise.

“Tell me about your day,” he prompted, genuinely wanting to hear the story of how she’d ended up with her new clothes. He let his hand settle back onto the sheets between them.

She told him about how she’d started cleaning around the mansion, only to find her usual clothing overly warm and restricting. How she’d ventured out to find new outfits - the first time she’d shopped for her own clothing in her entire life. How she’d been almost overwhelmed at the feeling of so many fabrics beneath her fingers, before finally settling on the ones she liked best. Listening to her was easy, peaceful. Victor felt himself relax completely, no trace of the awkwardness from before.

She asked about his day as well, and he launched into a retelling of how surprised he’d been at the warm welcome, of the new colleagues he’d met, of the incredible lab space he’d been given. He was so caught up in recounting his plans for new research that it took him a few minutes to notice she had moved in closer, gazing up at him adoringly. One of her hands had started to gently stroke his chest.

Even with fabric between her fingers and his skin, it was enough to make him shiver.

He vaguely recalled that he’d been in the middle of telling her about a potential project, but suddenly found he’d lost his train of thought.

Cardia continued the movement of her hand as she fixed him with the determined expression he’d seen so many times before.

”Victor,” she said, “I want you to touch me.”

He closed his eyes and groaned internally. Someone _really_ needed to talk to her about phrasing.

He took a deep breath and pushed down the images that bubbled up in his mind at her words.

"Right. I see." Of course she wanted more affection after he'd left her alone all day. What was he doing rambling on about alchemical experiments?

He drew her into his arms, close enough that the movement of her hand thankfully stilled, and kissed her softly. She snuggled further into his embrace, pressing herself up against him. One of her arms moved to wind around him, and she rubbed the palm of her hand slowly yet firmly across his back. It was incredibly soothing, and Victor felt himself relax under her touch.

He brushed another light kiss against her lips, but before he could move away she leaned in to deepen it. He felt the tentative touch of her tongue against his lips and couldn’t help but part his own. The sensation of the kiss was quickly becoming overwhelming as he sank further into it. One of his hands curled into the soft waves of her hair, the other sliding over the silky material covering her back.

Cardia moaned softly, and Victor felt a rush of heat through his body. He’d dreamed about hearing that moan, had imagined it vividly just that morning. To hear it in reality was more than he could bear.

The lower half of his sleep wear was rapidly becoming much too constricting.

He drew back from her, his heart racing.

“Could you get the lights?” he asked quickly.

Reluctantly, Cardia moved away to turn off the bedside lamp behind her. Victor took the opportunity to hastily tuck himself up into the waistband of his pajama bottoms. There. That made things less obvious.

He was still ashamed of his panic from the other day. He was a grown man. He could deal with an inconvenient erection calmly.

That was what his brain said at least. His body was on fire though.

He was certain she had no idea how much she was affecting him. He needed to stop things here or the situation would surely get out of hand. The last thing he wanted to do was to move too quickly for her, or to push his desires on her in any way that made her feel uncomfortable. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he scared her away.

So as she turned back to him, he moved to wrap her up in his arms, resting her head against his chest. He held her gently, carefully keeping his hips back. She wriggled a little in his arms but he just rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.

“Let’s go to sleep,” he whispered, and settled in for a long, sleepless night.


	5. Fourth Night

Cardia was on fire.

Last night had been going so well. The movement of his hands, the feeling of his kisses - it had stirred up her emotions, lit a warm sensation low in her belly. It was just like she’d always imagined. Just like how her books had described the start of certain scenes.

And then he’d insisted they go to sleep.

She could have screamed. Her whole body was certainly screaming.

Where had she gone wrong? She thought she’d been completely straightforward in her request when she’d asked him to touch her.

She honestly hadn’t meant to be in a state of undress when he'd come home the night before. But if after that all he was interested in doing was holding her and going to sleep, then her cause was truly hopeless. Was he not interested after all? Perhaps she’d been misled by fiction, and this was indeed the physical extent of a normal relationship.

She’d eventually slept, curled into his arms. Morning brought her no peace, as her dreams had been full of him. Him, and scenes from the novel she’d read. By the time she was fully awake, only a few wisps of memories from her dreams remained, but they were full of enough heat for her to squeeze her thighs together, frustrated by a feeling she’d come to know well over the past few days.

Victor was already awake and getting ready for the day. Not one to run late his second day on the job, he gave her a quick kiss and then left for the Royal Society.

Cardia lay in bed for a little while longer, willing her body to settle back to normal. Recalling even the smallest amount of her dreams left her flushed, her body restless as her heartbeat quickened. Her feelings were so intense, she wondered if something was wrong with her. Was it just because she'd finished that book the other day? Or was this a side effect of the new antidote?

But no, she'd felt these sensations, these emotions before. Perhaps not to this level, but she'd had curious, distracting thoughts about Victor ever since she had recognized her own feelings towards him. Now that times were peaceful though, they had the opportunity to burn out of control.

Frustrated, Cardia at last emerged from bed, determined to put her energy to good use and distract herself.

She got to work cleaning the mansion. Everything from dusting the foyer to scrubbing the kitchen. She did all the laundry and reorganized the pantry.

But it was no use. Thoughts of him crept into her mind unbidden. Of his hands, his warmth, his smile. She even felt a little flutter in her heart as she recalled the uncharacteristically confident way he'd spoken about his plans for work in his new role. She knew he was highly competent in his field, but to hear him express it was unreasonably attractive.

After a full day of cleaning and organizing, Cardia ran out of projects to tackle. Any ordinary person would be exhausted, but even she was mildly tired. Still, she had worked up a good sweat scrubbing and sweeping. A bath was certainly in order. Perhaps it would help her mind relax as well.

She filled the tub with water warmer than she normally would, feeling self-indulgent. Lowering herself into the bath, she felt some of her tension start to release. Her muscles were a little sore already from all of her efforts around the mansion. She sank down low enough for the water to cover her shoulders and tried to relax.

With her tension easing away, Cardia’s mind drifted to Victor. Was he having a good day at work? What new project had caught his interest?

She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. He was so intelligent, so capable. She felt a mix of pride and a small amount of that heat she’d become so familiar with lately. Even though they’d only been apart for a few hours, she missed him dearly.

She placed her hands over her shoulders, giving herself a squeeze, before running them down her arms. It didn’t feel remotely the same as when he touched her. His hands were larger, warmer, and somehow capable of making her feel both calm and on fire at the same time. 

If his hands felt like that on her arms and in her hair, how would they feel elsewhere?

She peered down at herself. Her breasts were generous enough. Did he like the way they looked? She cupped them in her palms. He’d been a little flustered both last night and the last time he’d had to examine her, but then again, so had she. Otherwise, he certainly seemed to pay them no mind.

If he did, what would it feel like? She kneaded against her soft skin, but her hands didn’t feel like his at all. She imagined his would be rougher against her, his touch firm but still gentle. She ran her fingertips across her nipples and couldn’t help but shiver, despite the warm water. If she was sensitive to her own touch, she could only imagine what it would be like for him to do this. Experimentally, she took one nipple between her fingertips and gave it a squeeze. She gave a small gasp as a line of heat ran from where she’d pinched down into her core. She did it again with the other nipple and felt much the same reaction.

She ran her hands downwards over her stomach, following that tendril of heat she’d felt. She wanted his hands on her like this so badly, wanted to know what it would feel like. Her fingers finally reached where she’d felt the end of the heat come to rest, but she paused.

She’d touched herself there before. She knew that one area in particular that felt so sensitive, that made her press her thighs together. But for all of her experimental touching before, she’d never felt the overwhelming sensation she’d read about. The immense rush of pleasure that the heroine in her book had described. Maybe it only happened with another person? Or maybe this time it would be different?

Cardia let her fingers drift over herself, exploring, before coming to rest at that one little spot between her legs. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that her fingers were those of the man she loved. Pressing lightly, she began to draw circles around the small nub.

Those hands she'd seen perform precise measurements so many times would surely know just how to move. Would he kiss her lovingly while doing it, or use his mouth elsewhere? Keeping her movements going with one hand, she brought the other up to pinch at her breasts again.

Her heart rate increasing, she continued the motion of both hands. It felt pleasant, relaxing. There was a hot, growing feeling in her body, but she couldn't quite make the connection between it and the overpowering sensation she understood was supposed to happen.

Maybe she was being too gentle? She pressed harder, quicker, impatient. But this only seemed to make the feeling flee beneath her touch. She pressed on for a moment more, but it was no good. With a dejected sigh, Cardia let her hands fall to her sides. She felt incredibly frustrated. Like she knew she needed to go somewhere but kept getting lost along the way.

The bath was quickly growing cold. She dunked her head under the water in an attempt to clear her thoughts, and moved to get on with the rest of the day.

***

Her body and mind were still frustrated that night as they prepared for bed. Backs turned to each other, they changed in silence.

Her new pajamas were light and quick to put on, so much different from all of her clothes in the past. Moving to the vanity, she picked up her brush and began to smooth it over her hair. Glancing into the mirror for a moment, she paused.

In the reflection, she caught a glimpse of Victor's back. It was only for a moment before he pulled on his pajama shirt and began to button it up, but she caught a distinct view of his broad shoulders, the surprisingly well defined planes of his back. Suddenly flustered, Cardia almost dropped her brush.

That heat she'd felt so persistently over the past few days had returned. It was all she could think about as they settled into bed.

"Goodnight," he said with a smile as he gave her a soft kiss.

Unwilling to let the night end that easily, she moved toward him and returned his kiss with one of her own. She rested one hand on his chest and wrapped the other around his back, fingers tracing along the muscles she'd glimpsed in the mirror.

She felt him pause for a moment, and hoped dearly that he wouldn't pull away. But then he returned the kiss, arms drawing her in against him.

Her hand skimmed across his back and shoulders, reveling in the feeling of how warm and firm he was. She used her palm to admire his shoulders, before moving to stroke up and down his spine.

He drew back from her suddenly.

"We should probably sleep," he said, sounding a little out of breath.

What? That was literally the last thing she wanted!

"I'm not tired yet though," she protested. "Are you?"

He looked away from her. "Well… no…"

She resumed their kiss and the motion of her hand across his back. He seemed a little uncertain at first, but gradually responded, moving his hand in the same way against her.

She wasn't sure who opened their mouth first, but as the kiss deepened she wanted so badly to press herself entirely against him. She tried to get as close as she possibly could, but he moved his hips away. Desperate for the sensation of his whole body against hers, she wrapped a leg around him and drew herself in as close as she could.

They both froze.

Oh. So that’s why he had tried to move away.

At least, she was pretty sure she knew what she was feeling. She didn’t have any frame of reference to know for sure, but she definitely felt something poking against her.

“Victor - is that…? Are you…?” She wasn’t sure how to ask about his condition without making him flustered.

It didn't seem to matter though, as he was flustered all the same.

“I’m so sorry!” he blurted out. Even through the darkness, she could tell his face was flushed. “I’ll go sleep in a different room.”

He began to pull away but she held onto him tightly.

“What? No! Why?” She couldn’t comprehend his reaction. “Isn’t this what’s supposed to happen? Doesn’t it mean you’re enjoying this?”

He choked out a strangled laugh. “Yes - yes, I’m definitely enjoying this.”

“Good. Well, I am too.”

He blinked at her a few times. "So you… don't mind?"

"Why would I mind?"

"It's not my intention to push you into anything you don't want to do!” he said with the most panicked expression. “Just… pretend you don't feel it or something."

Was he not understanding her words? Determined, Cardia pressed onwards.

"But I _do_ want to feel it." This seemed to render him speechless so she continued, "I'm a little relieved, actually. I thought maybe you weren't interested in doing anything like this. With me."

Now it was her turn to feel her face grow hot, admitting her insecurities.

This snapped him out of his shock and he rushed to reassure her. "Of course I want to! How could I not? I just didn't want you to think badly of me. I thought you weren’t interested in doing anything like this yet."

She stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean? I told you I wanted to touch you! That I wanted you to touch me!”

“ _I didn’t think you meant like that!_ ” His eyes were wide, distressed. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, settling a little. "So, if we both want to do this, should we keep going?"

"Yes, please," she whispered, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

She leaned in to kiss him again, but he took hold of her shoulders and pushed her back.

"Wait. Before we continue, I need you to promise me that you'll tell me if you want to stop, or if anything makes you feel uncomfortable."

He looked at her with such genuine concern. She all but melted at how sweet he was.

"I promise." She nodded solemnly. "But you have to promise me too! If you don't like something, tell me."

He laughed a little at this, but nodded in return. "Alright. I promise."

With that, he pulled her close again.

His kisses were different now. More assertive, confident. His hands traced not just her back, but her hips too. He ran his fingertips over her neck and she couldn't help but gasp and shiver.

This seemed to give him an idea. He kissed the side of her mouth, then along the edge of her jaw, and finally down to her neck. Cardia couldn’t help but moan as he explored the sensitive areas along her neck, and even up to her ear. Her whole body felt hot. She couldn't help but roll her hips against his, delighting in the sensation of how hard he was against her. He bit back a groan, and Cardia took the opportunity to turn the tables, taking her turn to plant kisses up and down his neck.

It didn't seem to affect him quite as much as it did her, but when she ran her tongue up the side of his ear he couldn't hold in a moan. The sound of it sent heat all throughout her. So naturally she did it again.

He squirmed against her, eyes closed. "Oh god, Cardia, that's so good..."

She made to try exploring along his collarbone, but his shirt kept getting in the way.

"Can you take this off?" she asked, already wiggling the top button loose.

He nodded and undid his shirt with shaking fingers. Peeling it away slowly, he seemed a little embarrassed as he had trouble meeting her gaze. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Cardia drank in the sight of him. Hair mussed, his blush threatening to creep down his neck, she could finally see the broad shoulders she knew he'd been hiding, along with a surprisingly flat stomach. He also had a very prominent bulge in his pajama pants, the sight of which sent a thrill through her.

She skimmed her fingers over his chest and he shivered.

"Is this alright?" she asked, desperately hoping it was. She wanted to touch every inch of him.

"Y-yes," he nodded.

As her fingers continued to explore the planes of his chest, the edges of his shoulders, she could hear he was breathing quicker than usual. She ran her hand along the muscles at his stomach, the closest she dared get to what most enticed her, and heard him inhale sharply.

"Victor," she said, her voice full of awe, "you look _amazing_."

He smiled bashfully at her. "Really? Thank you…"

Her continued admiration seemed to give him the courage he needed and he asked, "Can you… Would it be alright if you took yours off too?"

It was only fair. She pulled her shirt over her head and his eyes went wide.

He was still for a moment, his mouth a little open in surprise.

"You're so beautiful, Cardia," he finally murmured, so softly she wasn't sure he knew he was speaking.

His hand moved as though to touch her, but then stopped abruptly. He swallowed, seeming to come to a sudden awareness of what he was doing.

"Can I touch you?" he asked, his eyes earnest.

Cardia smiled at him, took both his hands in hers, and placed them on her breasts.

He gave a short, almost panicked laugh. "Cardia, you're absolutely going to be the death of me."

With that, he swept her up in another kiss. This time was even more intense than before, as his hands kneaded at her breasts, fingers grazing over her sensitive nipples. He moved to lavish attention on her neck again and she couldn't hold back the moans that spilled from her lips as he rolled one nipple between his fingers.

She held onto him as tightly as she could, but it didn't help keep her senses from being completely swept away by his attentions. All she knew was that she wanted - she _needed_ \- more sensations like this. Hooking a leg around his waist, she ground her hips against his, causing him to moan into their kiss. The sound of this along with the feeling of how firm he was against her filled her head with all kinds of curiosities.

A little surprised at her own forwardness, her hand stole down to touch him. Placing her palm over the firm length hidden by his pajamas, she gave him an experimental rub. Gently squeezing, she could feel how warm he was even through the cloth.

The sound he made was one she hoped to hear in all her dreams from then on.

She broke apart from him for a moment and tugged at his waistband.

“Take these off?” she asked, needing to see all of him.

He undid the drawstring, fingers trembling, but then paused. “Are you sure this isn’t moving too fast for you?”

If only he knew all the things she’d already imagined them doing!

Not ready to admit this though, she shook her head. “It’s perfect. Why? Is it moving too fast for you?”

“No! I just… wanted to make sure.”

He glanced away shyly as he drew away his last remaining item of clothing.

No medical textbooks could have prepared her for the sight of him. Seeing him beside her, still having trouble meeting her gaze, she felt an intense rush of heat that came to rest low in her core. It made her want everything she’d read about even more.

She reached out to touch him experimentally. He was warm, hard, and heavy against her hand, but the skin was softer than she’d expected. Beside her, Victor seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

She ran her fingers up his length, uncertain what would feel good for him, and then circled around the tip. He gasped and twitched a little at this.

Before she could continue to explore, he stopped her. “Wait.”

He finally met her gaze again, a deep blush across his face. “Will you take yours off too?”

He didn’t need to ask her twice. Her body felt so hot, she gladly slid the fabric of her sleep shorts down over her hips.

Seeing him take in the sight of her was a strange feeling. She felt flattered and a little powerful as he gazed at her, eyes full of desire and admiration. He ran a hand over the curve of her hip, coming to rest at the top of her thigh.

With her renewed confidence, she resumed her own exploration of him. Starting at his chest, she brushed her hands over him, working slowly downwards. He did the same to her, leaving a delightful feeling of tingles on her skin wherever he touched.

When at last she reached what she wanted, she took him in her palm, gently wrapping her fingers around him. His own hand stilled against her, resting against her hip.

Now what? Was she supposed to just move her hand up and down? At what speed? At what pressure? Faced with these questions, Cardia felt her confidence rapidly retreating.

“What am I supposed to do?” she asked. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

She could have kicked herself for those words - _of course_ she hadn’t.

“I’ve never done anything like this before either,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Really?" She was genuinely surprised. "I thought for sure you had. You’re smart and kind and handsome, I would have thought…”

She let her words drift off, realizing that despite all of his qualities, he’d spent so many years dedicated to research. He couldn’t have become a court alchemist at such a young age without an intense dedication to his studies. Perhaps it should not surprise her as much as it did.

He smiled shyly, somehow still unused to her praises. “Oh, thank you. But no, the um… opportunity never came up.”

Despite his ever-present blush, his face took on a focused expression. “Could I try something? I might not have done this before, but I’ve heard enough to have an idea of what to do.”

Intrigued, she nodded.

Taking her by the shoulders, he gently guided her onto her back. From what she’d read, she expected him to settle on top of her, but instead he just lay at her side. Holding her against him with one arm, he used the other to continue exploring her body.

His fingers brushed against her sensitive nipples while he kissed her neck. He caressed the flat of her stomach, then over the curve of her hip. His palm drifted down to her thighs, and Cardia held her breath. She wanted so badly to feel his touch where she needed it most. She tried to roll her hips towards his touch, and felt him smile against her as his lips continued their work along her neck.

He stroked her inner thighs, gradually working his way higher. When at last his hand was so tantalizingly close to where she wanted it, he stopped his attentions along her neck and held her gaze with his own, looking for her permission to continue.

“Please,” she breathed out, desperate to feel his touch.

He gave her a soft kiss, and at last she felt the gentle brush of his fingers between her legs. It was nothing like when she’d touched herself earlier in the day. Her imagination hadn’t done justice to the feel of his hands at all, so much larger, so much warmer than her own.

He took his time exploring her folds, his fingers gentle. She couldn’t help but whimper when he circled one area in particular, his fingertips just barely brushing at the little nub she’d explored on her own before. She moved her hips to try and get more of that friction, but his touch stayed frustratingly light.

“Be patient, Cardia,” he whispered.

He was watching her intently, she realized, studying her reactions. Feeling suddenly shy, she closed her eyes and tried to focus on the sensations of his hand between her legs.

His fingers moved to her entrance, which she could feel was completely soaked. He made no move to press further than that, only circling it a few times, gathering up some of her wetness. His now-slick fingers moved back up to her most sensitive area.

He touched her lightly, gradually trying slightly different motions. Cardia couldn’t help the noises she made at this, and he seemed to use this as a guide in his exploration. But no matter what pattern he traced against her, his touch always remained maddeningly gentle. He eventually settled on one that had her certain she was losing her mind.

She knew she must look a mess, moaning and squirming under his touch, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as long as he continued what he was doing.

"Victor, I - Ah! - I feel like I'm on fire. Like I'm going to burn up.”

He kissed her softly at this, but his fingers just continued the gentle movement that had her so undone.

She felt her thighs start to tremble, her body begin to tense. Her breath caught in her throat as she reached for something she knew was so close.

And then she understood. Understood what her books had promised, understood what her body had been searching for.

She arched against the bed, her hips moving uncontrollably as the waves of her orgasm crashed into her. She cried out as the sensations swept her away, desperately clinging to Victor beside her.

When at last she regained enough presence of mind to open her eyes, Victor was watching her with the biggest grin on his face.

“Oh my god…” Her mind reeling with what she'd just experienced, she was at a loss for how to put it in words. “That’s never happened to me before.”

Somehow, this admission made him even more pleased.

He started to draw the blankets up around them.

"Wait!" she stopped him. "What about for you?"

She could see he was still hard, somehow even more so than before. With her own needs satisfied, she wanted nothing more than to do the same to him. Besides, if he could make her feel that amazing based only on what he'd heard, surely she could do the same armed with only what she'd read.

"Ah, we don't have to continue if it's-"

She cut him off with a kiss. "I _want_ to do this. I want to make you feel as good as you made me feel."

"Well, if you're sure…"

She pushed on his shoulder. "Lie down. Relax."

He lay back, his blush returned in full force. He bit his lip, and then hesitantly admitted, "This really isn’t going to take long. Just watching you before was almost enough."

That admission thrilled her, gave her the boost of confidence she needed. Propping herself up on an elbow, she trailed her other hand down his stomach.

He squirmed at this and she had to bite back a smile as she learned just how ticklish he was. She could only imagine he'd lose all nerve if she laughed in this situation.

Her hand finally reaching its goal, she wrapped her fingers around him and gave him a gentle stroke. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Taking this as a good sign, she continued.

Liquid was already gathering at the tip. Intrigued, she ran her thumb over it. He gasped at this, so she made a point to do it every time her hand stroked upward.

"A little firmer," he guided her, breathlessly.

She tightened her grip and continued to pump him.

"Like this?"

He swallowed and nodded.

It wasn't long before she felt him grow tense and trembling, just like how she had when she was close to the end. Focusing, she maintained her pace and the pressure of her hand around him.

He made a breathy sound that might have been 'please', and then his whole body tensed, his hips bucking up against her hand. He buried his face into the pillow, looking away from her, muffling a very satisfied-sounding groan. She watched, entranced, as a warm, sticky substance spilled over her hand and onto his stomach.

She let her pace slow, drawing her hand away as his tremors subsided. She understood now why Victor had seemed so pleased after making her do that. It was indeed an overwhelming feeling to know you could make the person you loved feel so good with your hands alone.

Reaching over to the nightstand for a handkerchief, Cardia cleaned them both up.

Finally coming to his senses, Victor looked at her bashfully.

"I hope that wasn't too startling?" he asked hesitantly.

"No! Not at all," she rushed to reassure him, although truth be told she had been a little surprised at how messy it was at the end. "Was that alright?"

He laughed and covered his face with a hand. "Was that alright? Cardia, this whole night has been something out of my dreams."

She smiled delightedly at this and felt her cheeks grow slightly pink. "Oh! Well. To be perfectly honest, it's what I've dreamed of too."

She curled herself into his arms as he pulled up the covers.

"I love you, Victor," she whispered as she snuggled in as close as she could get.

He pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I love you too, Cardia. Goodnight."


	6. Fifth Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a ton of smut from here on out. Have fun!

Victor awoke feeling the most relaxed he had in a very long time.

He could almost believe that last night had been a dream, but no, Cardia was snuggled against him, both of them entirely naked beneath the covers.

He never imagined he would be this happy in his life. He certainly didn’t deserve to be. And yet, here he was.

Cardia stirred next to him, treating him to a beautifully contented smile as she woke. She cuddled further into his arms and kissed him.

“Good morning,” she whispered. “I feel like I’m still dreaming.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” He smiled and returned her kiss.

The feeling of her soft curves directly against his skin was too much. He could feel himself responding already. She twined their legs together, and this only had his body grow more excited.

Unlike before, he no longer tried to shy away from her to hide his reaction. He let her snuggle in as close as she liked, and allowed his own hands to wander as they pleased.

She made a low, happy noise that sent a rush of heat through him. If he wasn’t hard before, he was now.

With her curled into him like this though, he was reminded too much of their first morning together after she’d agreed to share her bed with him. He was still ashamed of his reaction. He felt awkward to bring it up, but his conscience wouldn’t let him stay silent.

“Cardia?” he started hesitantly. “I need to apologize for something.”

She looked up at him, frowning in confusion. “I can’t imagine what for.”

His face felt like it was burning with shame already, but he steadied himself as best he could and continued, “That first morning after you agreed to share a bed together… I said you needed to take another dose of antidote, but that was a lie. I was just… I had…”

How did he explain this? What had possessed him to even start down this path?

“Well I was just worried you might get too close and feel pressured into something more than you were ready for. Sometimes it happens when men wake up and it’s very normal, and you were so close too so that made things even worse. I’m so sorry! You should know there wasn’t any risk of negative effects from taking an extra dose. I completely panicked and have no idea why I said that. I feel so bad about it. I should have held you as much as you liked that morning. Every morning.”

He knew he was rambling, but couldn’t stop his words from tumbling out. Finally falling silent, he waited for her to say something.

She stared at him for a moment. Then she turned to hide her face in the pillow, her shoulders starting to shake.

“Oh no, Cardia, please don’t cry.”

He knew he’d done wrong, but he hadn’t expected tears. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but he didn’t deserve to touch her.

“I’m so sorry. You have every right to be upset. Please tell me what I can do to make this up to you.”

A small squeak escaped from the pillows, one that didn’t sound like tears at all.

Victor was utterly perplexed. “Are you… laughing?”

She peeked at him from the pillow, her face lit with an enormous grin, the corners of her eyes crinkled with laughter. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh.”

She drew away from the pillow, but couldn’t hold back more giggles. Completely at a loss of understanding, Victor could do nothing but wait for her to continue.

She wiped at the corners of her eyes and explained, “It’s just too funny. I’ve wanted to touch you _so badly_ since that very first night. I was so worried you weren’t interested. And now you tell me it was the complete opposite _all along_.”

He took a moment to process this.

“Does that mean last night… could have happened earlier?”

She laughed again and nodded.

“I’m an idiot,” he realized out loud. “I should just turn in my Royal Society badge right now.”

She drew herself into his arms and placed soft kisses against his lips. “Don’t say that. You’re just the kindest, sweetest man. I’m so lucky to have met you. To have fallen in love with you.”

Her words had him flustered again, and he could feel himself blushing deeply. He tried to collect his thoughts into words, but she pressed herself against him in a tight embrace.

"I love feeling you against me like this. Will you let me touch you more tonight?” She looked up at him from under her eyelashes. He was certain she didn’t know what that look and those words did to him.

“Yes.” He started to speak but had to clear his throat before continuing, “Yes, as much as you like.”

In that moment he regretted very much that he had signed back up with the Royal Society. He would gladly have spent all day in bed with her.

***

Cardia felt wonderfully satisfied.

She’d experienced a level of closeness with the man she loved, to a degree that would have been unimaginable a mere week ago. She’d been able to touch him as much as she liked, and be touched in return. She’d felt sensations so intense, so wonderful, she was still amazed that fiction hadn’t exaggerated.

And on top of that, she’d finally had a good night’s sleep.

Everything was right in the world.

Her heart fluttered to think of what more they would do that evening. After Victor had left for the day, she’d all but run to the library. She spent the morning thumbing through the most suggestive scenes, gathering ideas. The thought of exploring each other further was both enticing and thrilling.

As the day wore on, Cardia tried to keep occupied but found herself growing progressively more restless. She wanted him home immediately, wanted him to touch her as he had the night before, wanted to make him feel as good as he made her.

But the evening came and went, and still there was no sign of him.

Cardia began to wonder if she should go look for him, when at last she heard the door of the foyer open.

Victor was absolutely exhausted. Cardia listened as he apologized for his late return, explaining that a junior apprentice had mistaken one alchemical compound for another, resulting in a minor explosion and a lot of clean-up. He seemed so disheartened by the set-back on his project, she felt terribly for him. He’d clearly had a long day and she wanted nothing more than to comfort him as best she could.

After ensuring he had something to eat, she drew him a bath and settled into bed to wait for him. She perused a new adventure novel she’d selected - decidedly safer than her favourites - but couldn’t keep her thoughts from the scenes she’d re-read earlier that day.

He was certainly too tired to do all that she had hoped for. But perhaps she could take care of him?

She was still working those thoughts in her mind when he joined her and dressed for bed. She kept her eyes averted, despite her mind imagining him in several vulnerable positions.

When at last he joined her in bed, he kept his glasses on, fixing her with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry I was so late. I wish there had been a way of contacting you.”

“Don’t apologize.” She shook her head. “I was a little worried about you, but I would gladly wait as long as needed. I know you’re working on important things, and I’m here to support you as best I can.”

He smiled, but his face was drawn and weary.

“You’re too good to me, Cardia. I don’t deserve you.”

It broke her heart to hear him say that. Even after everything, he was still prone to thoughts of guilt and self-doubt. She wanted to take every negative feeling he ever had towards himself and his past and replace them with what she saw in him.

“Don’t say that.” She leaned over to kiss him. “I love you. You know that.”

She pressed another kiss against him, deeper this time, willing her feelings to be communicated through it. He drew her into his arms, and her feelings of adoration mixed with heat.

“Are you tired?” she asked shyly, hoping he understood her real question.

He blushed lightly.

“I am, but I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day. When the lab accident happened I was worried at first that I’d done something to cause it. I feel terrible for thinking this, but I was actually relieved to realize it was someone else’s mistake. I was so distracted by thoughts of you. So…” He paused and pushed his glasses up, his cheeks growing progressively more red. “Even though I’m very tired, I don’t want to go to sleep just yet.”

Shyly holding her gaze, he continued, “What would you like? I can do the same as yesterday-”

She put her fingers to his lips, quieting him. “No. You’ve had a long day. Let me take care of you.”

He kissed her fingertips, then moved to kiss the palm of her hand. “You already do. You have no idea how wonderful it was to come home to you tonight after everything.“

“That’s… not exactly what I meant.”

She was a little uncertain of how to continue, but she pushed away her doubts and pressed him back against the bed. He looked slightly confused, but let her continue. Straddling him, she pulled off her top. With his glasses still on, he was certainly getting a good view.

His hands settled on her hips as his eyes lay fixed on her chest. The faint light of the horologium illuminated them, and the desire in his gaze only grew her confidence.

She undid the buttons of his shirt, taking her time to touch the skin she revealed. She felt him begin to relax under her, his thumbs absentmindedly tracing small circles against her thighs.

She wiggled her hips against him, reveling in the feeling of him against her, and bent down to bring her mouth to his ear. He’d loved this the previous night, and today was no different. Her attentions had him squirming beneath her, moans slipping from his lips. She doubted he was even conscious of the way he was pressing himself upwards, their pajama bottoms offering only a thin barrier between them.

She slid his open shirt from his shoulders, and motioned for him to take it off.

As he did so, she pulled at his waistband. “Take these off too.”

As he removed the last of his clothing, she did the same with hers. She briefly considered taking his glasses off too, but he was adorably flushed behind them and they only enhanced how endearing she found him.

With them now both completely bare, he moved to reverse their positions, but she resisted.

“Stay,” she commanded, a bit more forcefully than she intended, pushing him back against the bed.

He blushed deeply at this and obeyed.

She returned her attention to his ears and along his neck, careful to keep her hips raised away from him. He shivered as she licked her way down to his chest, one hand drifting low to stroke lightly over his stomach. She kissed her way down, following the path of her hand. He still smelled like soap from the bath, and his skin was wonderfully warm.

“Wait wait wait!”

He grabbed her shoulders frantically, stilling her.

“If this is going where I think it’s going…“ He swallowed nervously. “Are you sure? We can just go to sleep.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I’d be able to sleep. I’ve been thinking about you all day. Let me try this?”

He paused for a moment, keeping his gaze locked with hers, as though trying to judge if she had any hesitations. Finally, he released her shoulders and lay back down, still watching her, concerned, from behind his glasses.

Cardia smiled up at him and continued her trail of kisses downwards.

She faltered slightly when she got to her destination. From her readings, she knew the general idea behind what she wanted to do. But would he really fit in her mouth? She needed to be careful, or she was certain she’d end up choking.

She started with her hand, moving it slowly along him at first. He whimpered a little at this, and she took this as a sign to continue, wrapping her hand a little tighter around him, just as he’d liked the previous night. A few more pumps of her hand and liquid was already gathering at the tip.

Tentatively, she brought her mouth closer and licked at him. It was a little salty, but not unpleasant. Watching her do this, Victor closed his eyes and groaned.

Emboldened, she took him into her mouth. She didn’t think she could put him all in her mouth, so she kept her hand moving with a steady rhythm.

He was surprisingly vocal, and she loved hearing the moans and gasps that she drew from him. It was a powerful feeling, to have him so unravelled by her touch.

She took him further into her mouth, experimenting with how much she could comfortably take in. She paused the movement of her hand, using it to grasp the base of him, and bobbed her head, trying to use her tongue as best she could at the same time.

It wasn’t long before she learned one thing that her books had failed to mention. Unused to the motion, her jaw was quickly becoming sore. There was no way she could stop though, not when he was making those noises, blushing down to his chest, glasses slightly askew. She loved seeing him so undone, wanted to push him even further.

She refocused her efforts, sucking and licking at him as her hand began to stroke rhythmically again.

This had the effect she desired. His hands fisted into the bedsheets and he gasped, pushing his hips up against her enough that she had to draw back a little.

“Oh… Oh god, Cardia,” he panted, one of his hands winding into her hair. “K-keep going like that… P-Please don’t stop. I’m so close already…”

She’d never heard his voice like this. Needy. Begging. And the slight pull of his hand in her hair was just too much.

Unable to help it, she slid a hand down to touch herself. Hearing him completely brought low had her so worked up. She was already wet and sensitive, just a few slight brushes of her fingertips across herself had her moaning, even as her mouth was full of him.

“C-Cardia? Are you…?” She felt him shift a little as he tried to get a better look at her. “Oh my god, you are… Oh _fuck_ …”

She’d never heard him swear before. It was an unbelievable feeling, to know that she had the power to have such a normally gentle, mild-mannered man driven to such words. The thought of this sparked even more heat alongside the movement of her fingers, making her thighs quiver and drawing out more wanton sounds from her even as her mouth moved around him. He echoed her moans, and she felt him begin to tremble.

“A-ah, Cardia this is too much…” He was breathing hard, his hips starting to roll of their own accord.

Suddenly he cried out, his hips surging up, making her take him too far into her mouth. She felt him hit the back of her throat and spill himself into her. She tried to swallow it as best she could, to keep her mouth and hand working him through his release, but it was too much. She couldn’t help but draw away, coughing.

He was beside her in seconds.

“I’m so sorry!” He was still panting and shaking from what he’d just experienced, his body still coming down from its sensations as he tried so hard to focus on her.

“It’s fine,” she tried to reassure him but was wracked with another coughing fit.

“I’ll go get you some water!”

Untangling himself from the covers, he rushed out of the room.

He returned a moment later, handing her a glass of water. He watched her, concerned and apologetic, as she drank deeply.

“I’m fine, really,” she reassured him, more convincing this time. “I should have expected that.”

He was still watching her with distress, and she knew him well enough to understand he was beating himself up over what had just happened.

She smiled at him and pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Don’t worry. I enjoyed doing that to you. I’ll just need to be a bit more careful towards the end next time.”

He took a moment to register this.

“Next time?”

She laughed softly. “Yes, of course there’s going to be a next time. For now though, let’s just go to sleep.”

He blinked at her. “Do you honestly think that after all that, I’m going to just go to sleep?“

She didn’t quite understand until he gently but firmly guided her to lay on her back.

“Aren’t you tired?” she asked, trying to be considerate, but desperately hoping he was not.

“Not anymore.” He grinned at her, his expression endearingly eager and boyish.

“Besides, you have no idea how much I want to do this.” He admitted this softly, but his eyes didn’t leave hers. She shivered at his quiet confidence, her body suddenly very eager to find out exactly what he wanted to do.

He kissed her then, his mouth insistent, coaxing her lips open. His hands stole down to her breasts, caressing the soft skin, a thumb teasing at her nipples. His lips moved to her neck, finding the point that made her writhe beneath him, but gentle enough not to leave any marks.

He explored his way downwards, tracing the horologium for just a moment before fully turning his attention to her breasts. Lightly pinching at one nipple, he took the other into his mouth. The feeling of him licking and sucking at her had her gasping.

His mouth moved to her other breast, and his hand slid down between her legs. He drifted a finger over her lightly, stroking softly. 

“You’re so wet,” he groaned, pausing in his attention to her breasts only momentarily.

His words and his touch had her body wanting anything and everything he could give her. She tried to wiggle closer to the touch of his fingers, needing to feel as she had the night before. He withdrew his hand, but started trailing kisses downwards. Anticipating what he was about to do, she almost forgot to breathe.

When at last he settled between her legs, he simply kissed her thighs and looked up at her.

“Is this still alright with you?”

“Yes, please,” she squeaked out, her mind barely capable of forming words.

Her whole body was on fire. With him so close, she desperately wanted him to bury his face between her legs until he made her feel as he had the night before.

But instead, he took his time.

He kissed her thighs once more, then focused his gaze on her.

He looked at her with such adoration, she felt simultaneously flattered and timid. With his glasses still on, she knew she was very much on clear display. She wanted to hide her face in the pillows, but the sight of him taking her all in with such a look of wonder was so unbelievably heady that she found it impossible to look away.

Slowly, he used a hand to trace at the folds between her legs. He studied her reactions carefully, testing and confirming how to coax shivers and moans out of her. Cardia didn’t know whether to be grateful or frustrated that she’d fallen in love with a scientist.

She wanted to scream as he kept his touches light and gentle. At last, he withdrew his hand, leaned forward, and gave her a tentative lick at the one spot he knew she was most sensitive. She couldn’t help but gasp and squeeze her thighs around him.

He drew back a little at this and removed his glasses.

“Could you put these on the nightstand?”

He was so adorably apologetic, she almost laughed. He handed her his glasses and she placed them safely to the side, her fingers almost fumbling them.

She barely had a chance to settle back in against the pillows before he licked at her again. It was a different sensation than his fingers, and she felt her eyes drift closed as he continued, growing more sure of himself.

He focused on the one spot that had her quickly incoherent, moaning his name. She couldn’t help but wind her fingers tightly into his hair, pulling him closer against her. He groaned at this and she withdrew her hands.

“Sorry!” she breathed out, fearing that she’d hurt him.

He looked up at her, sheepishly. “Ah, no… It didn’t hurt.” He bit his lip before continuing, “Could you do that again?”

She blinked at him, but carefully threaded her fingers into his hair, gently drawing him against her. The delicious heat of his mouth soon had her forgetting herself again though, pulling him in as closely as she liked. He moaned, burying his face against her, his tongue working with an increasingly enthusiastic pace.

She felt heat begin to pool in her lower belly, her heartbeat out of control. Her breath coming in gasps, she closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of him between her legs. It didn’t take long for her to feel her thighs start to quiver, the muscles in her core begin to clench.

With her hands firmly in his hair, she ground her hips against him as she came. He lapped at her as she rode out the sensations, his own moans reverberating against her.

At last she pushed him away, suddenly too sensitive. She blinked and gasped for breath, struggling to come back to reality.

His head resting against her thigh, he watched her with a smile, the lower half of his face a mess from her juices.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, his gaze so full of love that it made her heart ache with longing to have him in her arms.

He wiped his face with the bedsheets as she pulled him up to cuddle with her. She felt deeply weary, her whole body relaxed, snuggled safely against him.

“Victor, I…” she started but trailed off with a yawn. “I don’t even know what to say. That was amazing. _You’re_ amazing.”

He mumbled something in return, and she realized he was already half asleep. He’d been so exhausted earlier, she wasn’t at all surprised to find that their activities had completely done him in.

Cardia gave him a soft kiss, curled herself further into his arms, and followed him to sleep.


	7. Sixth Night

Victor awoke in a state of complete bliss for the second day in a row, the woman he loved sleeping peacefully at his side.

If someone had told him only a few weeks ago that he would attain this level of happiness, he wouldn't have believed them.

His life was peaceful, he was working to forward research on projects that could benefit society, and he had found someone he loved dearly and who returned those feelings in kind.

On top of that, he was somehow succeeding at keeping her satisfied, despite his inexperience in certain matters. He wasn't often prone to such feelings, but he had to admit he felt a slight stirring of pride and confidence at how well their first few nights of experimentation had turned out.

There had been a few missteps to be sure. He was a little embarrassed to recall how he'd completely missed all of her signals the first few nights. How he'd finished in her mouth, causing her to choke and cough. How surprisingly much he'd liked it when she'd put her hands in his hair, taking control of the situation and guiding him as she wished.

But Cardia never showed any judgement, just unending care, support, and understanding. And thankfully, she seemed to be enjoying everything just as much as he was. He would probably always be quick to become flustered, be prone to self-doubt, but together, she made him feel like he could handle whatever life threw at them.

He hoped he could bring her something she needed as well. He'd neutralized the horologium's poison, helped her experience the human touch she craved, but it wasn't enough. She brought him so much joy, he felt as though he could devote every day of his life to her happiness and well-being and still never balance the scales.

Drawing her sleeping form closer into his arms, he couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky. He kissed the top of her head and felt her stir against him. Eyes opening slowly to the morning light, a smile spread across her face.

“I meant what I said when I first asked if we could share a bed,” he couldn’t stop himself from whispering.

”Hmm?” She burrowed further into his arms.

“How happy it would make me to have your face be the first thing I see each morning.”

Was he actually saying these words? Without growing flustered? She really was having an effect on him.

She beamed up at him. “I feel the same way.”

She kissed lightly along his chest, sending little shivers through him. He could happily stay like this for the whole day, perfectly content in each other’s arms.

Unfortunately, he did have other responsibilities.

“I should probably get ready for work,” he said reluctantly.

Cardia pouted cutely for only a moment, but the sight of it pulled at his heart.

“I know…” she sighed. “You don’t need to go in tomorrow though, right? Let’s sleep in then.”

Unwinding from their embrace, he gave her a nod and retrieved his glasses from the nightstand. With the room back in focus, he reluctantly made to leave the warmth of the covers.

“Wait.”

She placed a hand on his arm.

“Let’s get ready together,” she suggested.

He wasn’t sure exactly what she meant, but she took his hand in hers and pulled him out of bed.

“Shouldn’t we um... put clothes on?" he asked, trailing along behind her as she led him into the hallway.

"Why? We'd just need to take them off to get into the shower anyway."

His heart started to pound. She wanted to shower together? He was already having trouble keeping his eyes from her figure as she pulled him along the corridor, he couldn't imagine bathing together would help.

He began to have a sneaking suspicion he was going to be late for work.

His suspicion only grew when they reached their destination and he couldn't help but recall the last time she had joined him in the shower, courtesy of his imagination.

Cardia turned to fiddle with the taps. Not wanting to get a blast of cold water, she stood outside the shower and bent over as she adjusted the temperature.

He knew it was impolite to stare at a lady in such a position, but he couldn't help it. She was bent over just slightly, but enough to be enticing. In the clear daylight, with his glasses on, there was nothing left to his imagination. His body was already responding to the thought of showering together, and his situation only became worse as he found himself unable to look away from the view she presented.

Satisfied with the temperature, she turned around too quickly for him to avert his gaze.

She gave him a questioning look as his face flushed red.

"Victor, what were you staring at?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking anywhere but her.

She'd already spent two nights with him in a row, what more did he want? He hoped dearly she wasn't offended by him staring, much less his obviously growing physical reaction.

She didn’t seem offended at all though. In fact, she seemed intrigued, observing him openly.

“This is the first time I've seen you in the daytime," she noted, tilting her head to one side, her gaze fixed on one location in particular.

He pushed his glasses up and fought the urge to hide. He'd stared at her after all, it was only fair she get her turn. That thought didn't make him any less flustered.

She reached out her hand but then stopped and looked up at him, biting her lip. "Can I touch you?"

He swallowed. The water had only been running for a few moments, how was the room so hot already?

"Y-yes."

She stepped towards him and he backed up against the sink counter.

She drew away, giving him space. "Or not. If you're not comfortable with it."

What was wrong with him? He wanted her hands on him _so badly_.

"No, it's fine. Sorry, I just… I don't know why I'm suddenly so nervous. You can touch me as much as you like."

She stepped closer to him, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him the lightest kiss. Her hand stole downward and the sound of his pulse in his ears threatened to drown out the sound of the shower.

He leaned back against the counter and bit back a moan as she ran her hand along him, teasing him until he was fully at attention. Her fingertips brushed over the sensitive tip and he couldn't hold in a gasp.

Seemingly delighted at this reaction, she smiled, licked her lips, and asked, "May I?"

Incapable of speech, he just made a little strangled sound as he nodded.

The woman he loved dropped to her knees in front of him and he forgot how to breathe.

She stroked him softly at first, watching his reactions. As he became painfully hard beneath her touch, she leaned forward and ran her tongue from the base of him all the way to the top.

He leaned back, clinging to the countertop.

Fighting to regain his voice just for a moment, he cleared his throat. "Cardia, you don't need to-"

"I know I don't _need_ to." She had that determined look in her eyes. "I _want_ to."

He didn't even know what to say to that.

Her hand still stroking him, she continued, "Why? Did you not like doing it to me?"

"It's not that! I loved doing it to you. It's just… more messy for you."

"Now I know what to expect," she said simply, and brought her mouth to him.

He closed his eyes, tipping his head back with a groan as her lips wrapped around him. She was more sure of herself than the night before, taking him further into her mouth, using her tongue as she moved and sucked.

He opened his eyes, needing to watch as she bobbed her head, taking him into her mouth. The visual was straight out of his dreams. He couldn't hold back the noises he was making, his moans echoing off the tiles.

With the water still running, the room gradually filled with steam. Victor reluctantly took off his glasses as they began to fog up. He tried to place them on the counter behind him, but Cardia swirled her tongue around him at just the right moment to send them clattering to the floor.

It didn't take long for him to be breathing hard, completely overwhelmed by her. He felt a familiar tension building as she worked him closer to the edge.

"C-Cardia, I'm almost there..." he gasped out, trying to warn her. "Just use your hands."

She removed her mouth from him with a pop, stroking him with both hands, and looked up at him with a smile.

The sight of her on her knees, working him and enjoying every minute of it sent his mind reeling. He closed his eyes and leaned back heavily against the counter as his legs shook, his release hitting him, sudden and intense.

Still trembling with sensation, he looked down at her, fearing he'd made a mess of her face and hair.

What he saw rendered him speechless.

He'd finished all over her breasts. With an amused smile, she ran her hand over her chest, smearing the evidence over the horologium. She popped a finger into her mouth, tasting him.

He couldn't stop staring. Even without his glasses, the image was seared into his memories, certain to make a reappearance in his dreams.

"We should probably take that shower," she said, retrieving his glasses from the floor and handing them to him. "The water's definitely warm by now."

He helped her up from the floor, but realized he was forgetting something very important.

"Wait. What about you?"

She shook her head. "You're going to be late for work as it is."

"I really don't care about that."

"Yes, you do." She knew him too well. "Let's continue tonight."

"Then… Tonight I'll do whatever you want."

He would do whatever she wanted anyway, but he wasn't sure what else to say.

"What I want…?" She trailed off, growing shy for the first time that morning. She paused before looking up at him. "I want _you_. I want all of you."

It took him a few heartbeats to understand.

Oh.

The already steamy room somehow became even warmer, and Victor's mind forgot how to function.

He had no idea how he was going to get any work done that day.

***

He left the lab early. There was no point in staying, his focus was completely ruined.

He'd spent all morning running her words through his mind. Maybe he'd misinterpreted them? It did seem the logical next step in their relationship, but just thinking about it threatened to overwhelm him.

He'd done alright so far, he told himself, striving for reassurance. There was no reason to think whatever else they got up to wouldn't be a similarly enjoyable experience for them both.

But by the afternoon he'd worked himself into such a state that he'd hardly got anything done. He kept turning her words in his head, alternating between excitement, worry, and doubt that he'd even heard her correctly.

Just in case he _had_ understood her, he stopped by a pharmacy on his way home. He could easily have made what was needed, but didn't trust his focus that day. Red-faced, he couldn't look the pharmacist in the eye.

Cardia was overjoyed to have him home early. She threw her arms around him in a hug, buried her head against his chest, and insisted he tell her all about his day.

"Today was… Fine?" He was certain she could hear his heart beating out of his chest.

He held the bag from the pharmacy out to her. 

"Maybe I'm reading too much into what you said this morning…" He paused and swallowed. "But just in case, please take this."

She opened the bag and peered into it. "What is it?"

He could explain this. He had a medical degree.

"I-It's… Um..."

His mouth had gone completely dry. He pushed up his glasses to buy himself time. 

"It's to prevent any unexpected consequences if we, um… Continue as we have been..."

Was that clear enough? Did she need to know the scientific name of the mixture? Did he need to explain the chemical properties and exactly how they worked?

Before he could stumble through more words, Cardia frowned. "That makes sense. I should have thought of it before. The books always left this part out..."

"What books?"

Her cheeks went pink. "Nothing!"

She pulled the vial from the bag and drank it all in one go.

"Help me make dinner?"

She gave him a disarming smile and pulled him along to the kitchen.

***

Spending time together helped calm him down. It was so easy to talk with her, and he quickly found himself discussing dreams for his research and reminiscing about their friends.

By the time they were ready for bed, he felt silly for having been so nervous. This was Cardia. He would do anything for her and he loved her more than life itself. They'd been through so much together, surely they could figure out the next steps in their relationship.

He had to repeat this in his head as she stripped off her clothes, not bothering with pajamas at all as she made herself comfortable in bed. She looked at him expectantly, so he hurried to unbutton his clothes, his fingers suddenly lacking coordination.

When he joined her in bed, she wasted no time in pulling him into a kiss.

"I thought about you all day," she murmured against him.

He drew her into another kiss rather than admit what a mess his thoughts had been.

She nibbled at his ear as she'd discovered that he loved, and he slid his hands over her curves. As their caresses grew more fevered, he trailed kisses down her breasts and stomach, making his way downward.

"Wait," she breathed out softly, "I want more tonight."

Her needy plea sent a wave of fire through him.

"I know," he said, his hands tracing her hips, "but I don't think we can rush into it. Let me do this. I want to so badly."

He hardly recognized his own voice, low and confident. It had the right effect though, as she shivered and sank back into the pillows.

He took his time making his way down, determined to kiss every perfect inch of her. When he finally settled between her legs, she was already trembling beneath his hands.

He tasted her, keeping the pressure of his tongue light, focusing on where he knew she was the most sensitive. She put her hands in his hair, and as much as his heart leapt at that, he pulled them away.

"Just relax," he murmured, pausing to drop kisses along her thighs.

He returned his attention to her, trying to figure out how best to approach the next step.

There had been a day - several days - when he'd tried to block out Impey's grandiose stories with exasperation. Now he was infinitely thankful for his friend's complete lack of discretion.

He kept up the movement of his mouth against her, taking one hand from her hips and moving to lightly circle her entrance with a finger. She gasped and pressed her hips towards him. Seeing her so eager had his heart beating out of control, his own body on fire, craving hers.

He pressed one finger slowly into her, echoing her moan with his own as he felt how warm and wet she was. Trying to focus on the rhythm of his tongue against her, he let her adjust to the feeling of being filled. His mind was overwhelmed at the feeling and taste of her. He didn't think he'd ever been this hard before.

Hoping he was remembering the advice correctly, he curled his finger upward inside her. She responded with a loud moan, grabbing his hair and grinding her hips against him.

Taking this as a good sign, he worked another finger in, going as slowly as he could. With two fingers inside her, his mouth still working against her, her thighs trembled around his head.

"Victor," she cried out, tugging at his hair, "I need you."

He closed his eyes and willed himself to stay calm, drawing his fingers out and slowing his tongue against her. He hoped desperately for the rest of the night to go as well as it had so far.

He wiped his mouth off and moved back up into her arms. She was panting, her pupils wide, her hair in disarray. She looked a beautiful mess, and he wanted to drive her even further.

Raining kisses along her mouth and neck, he settled on top of her. He bit his lip as he brushed at her entrance, his body anticipating what was to come.

Meeting her gaze, he saw a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "What can I do?"

“I want this so badly," she panted. "It’s just… Will it fit?"

He felt an uncontrollable rush of male pride that he didn’t really want to think about, before concern pushed those feelings away.

“We don’t have to do anything. We can stop now and go to sleep.”

He would certainly combust, his veins full of fire, but he meant it.

She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. When they reopened, her hesitation was gone. She looked determined.

“No, I _want_ to do this. I want _you_.”

She kissed him and placed her palms against his face, keeping him close as she looked into his eyes.

“I’m a little nervous, but I’ve never been more sure of anything. I love you.”

He kissed her, swallowing down his own nerves and drew in close. Even during all their adventures, he was certain his heart had never beat so fast.

He took a deep breath and slowly pushed into her. He couldn’t help but close his eyes, a small moan escaping his lips. She was so warm and wet and tight. It was almost more than he could stand. Holding her in his arms, so intimately entwined, he felt an unbelievable swell of emotions towards her. 

Opening his eyes to look at her once again, he was dismayed to see her brow furrowed, her lip caught between her teeth.

"Is it too much? Do you want to stop?" His voice was unsteady.

"N-No, it's fine. Let me just get used to the feeling." She was trying to smile at him, but he could tell she was uncomfortable.

He tried to keep absolutely still as she adjusted to him. It was torturous - both staying still and knowing that he was the cause of her discomfort. He thought he'd done all the right things to help her, but perhaps he'd neglected something. He deeply regretted not educating himself more on this matter beforehand.

He felt her shift beneath him and he sucked in a breath. Knowing this was difficult for her while feeling incredible for him made him feel awful, guilty.

She wiggled her hips a little more.

"I think… you can try moving now," she whispered.

He wasn't entirely sure what to do, but his body did. As slowly as he could, he drew his hips back, then forward again. He clenched his teeth and willed himself to go slow.

"Does that feel alright?" he asked, his voice tense.

She hesitated before responding, "It feels… like a lot. But I'm getting used to it. Keep going."

He found it surprisingly difficult to hold himself above her and set a steady pace. He was rapidly becoming out of breath, and cursed his academic rather than athletic nature. But if she could bear with it, so could he, so he worked to keep a steady rhythm of his hips.

She began to relax beneath him, her grip on his shoulders loosening. She rolled her hips against his, but settled for just wrapping her legs around him when that threw off their rhythm.

It wasn't long before another problem became very apparent. He stilled completely against her, desperately willing the feeling of his impending release to retreat.

With a deep breath, he moved again. He tried recounting alchemical formulas to distract himself, but they tumbled from his mind with every movement of his hips. He stilled again, all of his efforts focused on holding back.

“Why do you keep stopping?" Cardia asked from under him. "Do you want me to take a turn on top?”

“No!”

Absolutely not! In his current state, the thought of her on top of him was almost too much. He knew this would be over instantly if she did that.

“This just feels so good,” he admitted. “I-I can’t keep going much longer.”

He could feel himself shaking, his breathing heavy. The only thing he wanted more than granting his body what it needed was to make sure she was satisfied.

“Are you-” his voice broke off with a groan as she wiggled under him. His hips twitched forward slightly in response. He was so, so close. “Are you almost there?”

Her face said it all, and he felt his heart sink. There was no way he could hold out much longer.

“Let’s stop,” he suggested, despite wanting to do anything but that. “If this isn’t feeling good for you we’ll figure something else out.”

“No!” she cried out. “Please keep going. It feels good - more than good - but I can tell it will take me a while to get there."

She moved her hips against his and he ground out through clenched teeth, "I'd love to continue, but I'm really, really close."

She pulled him down into a kiss. "Then keep going," she whispered, brushing her lips against his. "I want to feel you."

She couldn't know what her words did to him, the shiver they sent through his body.

He tried to keep their gazes locked together as he moved, the look of adoration she was giving him sending his emotions even further out of control, but couldn't help but close his eyes as the sensations in him peaked.

He grasped her hips tightly as he neared the end, drawing her as close as he could, his movements growing rough and erratic. He heard her gasp beneath him at this and he buried his face against her neck, trying to muffle the sound of his moans as he came. Tense and trembling, he thrust forward one final time, feeling the last of his release spill inside her, and all but collapsed onto her.

He couldn't move, couldn't think, as his mind and body struggled to process what he'd just experienced.

Gradually coming back to his senses, he realized that Cardia was rubbing circles across his back. He shifted a little so as not to put his full weight on her, but his entire body felt slow and heavy.

Finally piecing his mind together, he gathered himself enough to ask, "Are you alright?"

"That felt… really good towards the end," she replied, breathlessly.

His heart fell in dismay at her words. He settled himself beside her, and asked carefully, "Just towards the end?"

She shook her head. "Everything."

His doubt must have shown on his face, because she continued quickly, "It was a little uncomfortable at the start, but once that passed it felt incredible! It made me feel so close to you."

How were her words capable of making his heart melt so easily?

He took her into his arms and held her closely, still feeling the afterglow of what they'd done. She squirmed a little against him, pressing her thighs together.

He trailed a hand down her hip and paused.

"Do you still feel like continuing? For you?"

"Yes, please." Her expression was bashful but he couldn't imagine why. After all they'd done, he _needed_ to see her satisfied.

His fingers got to work circling the spot he knew she loved. She was absolutely soaked with the remnants of what they'd just done, and the thought of it made him a little dizzy.

She looked up at him, her hair wild. "Could you use your fingers, like you did before?"

He swallowed and took a breath, fairly certain he understood what she was asking for.

Tentatively, he pressed two fingers inside her, keeping his thumb working at the same time. She moaned deeply and bucked her hips as he curled his fingers inside her as he had before.

Guided by her reactions, it didn't take long before she was trembling in his arms, drawing tighter around his fingers. His mouth went dry, imagining what that would feel like around another part of him.

She came apart quickly, already so worked up from the rest of the evening. Holding her against him, he worked her through her release, feeling every tremor and cry that he coaxed from her.

She was exhausted after, barely able to keep her eyes open, murmuring happy noises against him. After all they'd experienced that night, he wasn't at all surprised. He felt it too, languid and content.

He kissed the top of her head as she snuggled into him, already half asleep, and felt humbled and grateful. Having her in his life was more than he could have ever asked for.


	8. Seventh Night

Cardia luxuriated in the feeling of Victor's arms around her. Judging by the light streaming through the windows, it was already almost noon. She couldn't bring herself to care though.

She'd spent all morning just lying in bed with him, enjoying his warmth and the gentle reassurance of his touch. They'd both drifted in and out of sleep, neither willing to leave the comfort of their bed. After their past few late nights though, she suspected they both needed this.

Just remembering those nights sent a tendril of heat through her. Her books certainly hadn't lied in their more passionate scenes.

She still found it hard to believe everything that had happened over the past few days. It was dizzying to think of all she'd experienced after only a week of being able to touch another person without fear of hurting them.

If she'd had any lingering thoughts about being a monster, they were certainly gone now. After all, no monster would be capable of experiencing feelings of love this deeply, and to have them returned in kind.

She leaned back contentedly into Victor's arms, tangling their legs together. With her back pressed against his chest and his arms around her, she felt calm and safe. One of his hands traced absentminded patterns along the skin of her stomach and breasts.

His fingers brushed across a sensitive nipple, and she couldn't help but gasp as his touch sent a thrill through her. The sound snapped him out of his reverie, his hand drawing away immediately.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't even realize…"

She laughed and guided his hand back to rest against her chest.

"You can touch me as much as you like, I love it."

He kissed the back of her head, but moved his hand to safer territory.

"We should probably get up," he murmured, "or we're going to be here all day."

She sighed reluctantly. That wouldn't necessarily be so bad, but she did have chores to take care of around the mansion. Stretching a little, she turned to face him.

“What will you do today?“

"I need to catch up on some academic journals," he said, allowing a hand to settle on the curve of her hip. "This week back at the Royal Society has made me realize that I've fallen behind on a few recent advancements."

She nodded. It was perfectly understandable that he hadn't had time to keep up with the latest studies in his field while on the run.

"What about you?" he asked.

“Wash the bedsheets,” she said simply.

"Oh. Yes." His face lit up with a sudden blush. "I feel like I should help with that."

"Don't worry about it. They'll probably need to be washed again tomorrow anyway."

She felt a little bad as his blush reached up to his ears and he had trouble meeting her eyes.

Only a little bad though.

Would he ever stop getting flustered around her? She hoped not. It was adorable.

She gave him a playful kiss and prepared to go about her day.

***

Victor had grown increasingly distracted all day, lost in thought. Cardia hoped dearly he wasn’t ruminating over the previous night, but she understood him well enough to know that he probably was.

She knew he felt guilty for causing her discomfort, but once those initial feelings had passed, she'd truly enjoyed the experience. Always attentive, he’d certainly left her very satisfied by the end. She wasn't sure how to express this to him without sending him into a spiral of blushes and stammered words though.

He was quiet and contemplative as they entered their bedroom that night. Unable to stay silent any longer, she turned towards him and took his hands in hers.

“Victor,” she sighed, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” he said quickly.

She waited expectantly, holding his gaze.

“It’s just... I’ve been thinking about last night and how to make it, um... more enjoyable for you.”

How had she known?

He glanced away and pushed up his glasses. “If we can recreate a similar pressure and angle to… how do I say this...” 

He was getting so flustered. It was unbearably endearing.

Stopping him before he worked himself up too much, Cardia placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.

“Victor,” she said softly, “I appreciate the time you’ve spent thinking about this. But I don’t need the full scientific explanation.”

She rose up on her tiptoes and gave him a reassuring kiss. “Just show me.” 

“R-Right.” He swallowed, took a breath to steady himself, and then pulled her towards him.

He was gentle at first, taking her into his arms, his lips just brushing against hers. She pressed herself closer, grabbing his shirt in her fists. Smiling at her eagerness, he deepened the kiss, coaxing open her mouth.

Cardia let her hands slide downwards, stealing up under his sweater. She sighed contentedly into their kiss, loving the feeling of his skin under her fingers. His own hands stroked through her hair and down her back.

How did he make her feel so on fire with such soft touches? His caresses were slow and gentle, but even the feeling of him over her clothes was enough to give her goosebumps. It wasn't enough though. She could never have enough of him.

She tugged his sweater up. "Take this off."

He shrugged out of it quickly, as though reluctant to have his hands anywhere other than her for even a moment. His face was flushed behind his glasses, his lips slightly swollen from their kisses. She knew she must look much the same.

He wound one hand into her hair, the other against her cheek, and tilted her face up to reach him. His kisses grew firmer, more insistent. She ran her palms across his chest and down to the lean muscles of his stomach, feeling a shiver follow her touch.

She reached the top of his trousers, sending one hand down to palm him through the material. Even with the fabric between them, she could feel how hot he was. She gave him a light squeeze and the moan he made had her knees grow weak.

Breaking apart for a moment, she peeled away her own clothes as quickly as she could. He did the same, his hands shaking slightly as he undid the fastenings on his trousers.

With the last of their clothing stripped away, they stood for a moment, taking each other in.

"You're so beautiful, Cardia," he whispered.

She loved his eyes on her, loved how he couldn't hide the effect she had on him. So used to having her skin regarded in fear, it was a powerful feeling to have someone look at her with such desire.

She returned the heat of his gaze. She didn't have the words to describe him as he stood before her, but felt an insistent pull of need low in her belly.

"I want you," she said simply, taking him into her hand.

He groaned and closed his eyes, his jaw tight.

"You have me," he murmured, meeting her eyes again. "Forever. Whatever you want."

She smiled at this, kissed his chest, and began to sink to her knees.

He caught her quickly by the shoulders.

"Ah, no," he laughed breathlessly. "Whatever you want, but not that right now. Not if you want things to last longer than last night."

He guided her to the bed, taking off his glasses as she settled back against the pillows.

He joined her on the bed, his kisses quickly descending. He worked his way down her neck, over her collarbone. His lips grazed the horologium, and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Even the part of her that had caused them so much trouble - that had nearly caused the _world_ so much trouble - was worthy of love and affection.

He took his time at her breasts, eventually catching her nipples lightly between his lips. The touch of his tongue against her had her gasping, her fingers winding tight in his hair, pushing him lower.

He kissed down her stomach, past her hips, until he came to rest between her legs. His eyes were dark, focused as he met her gaze, before bringing his mouth to her.

She couldn't help but cry out, throwing her head back against the pillows. He'd been so hesitant in their earlier nights. Feeling his newfound confidence as he licked at her the way he knew she liked was exhilarating.

One hand grasping at the bedsheets, she wound the other in his hair, holding him tightly to her. He moaned against her, the vibrations sending a shock of heat and desire through her.

He shifted and she felt the slightest brush of his hand against her entrance. She pressed her hips towards him, impatient, her body craving the feeling of being filled. He kept his tongue at the pace and pressure that was driving her mad as he slowly pushed a finger inside her.

"Oh!" she gasped, as she felt him rub against the same spot in her he'd found the night before.

The sensation had her breath catch in her throat. She had just barely recovered some semblance of her mind when he worked in a second finger, taking his time to let her adjust.

It all felt heavenly, his mouth against her, his fingers deep inside. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted to share this experience with him, to have him be just as swept away.

She pulled at him, urging him upwards.

“Victor, please,” she moaned, “I want you.”

He shivered at this, but drew himself up into her arms.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked softly.

“Yes.” She brushed her lips against his, tasting herself on him. “Yes. I need to feel you.”

He was easier to take than the night before. Knowing what to expect, her body relaxed, welcoming the slow press of him into her core. He watched her reactions carefully, until at last it became too much for him to stand. He closed his eyes with a shaky exhale as he slid fully into her.

As he started to move, his fingers stole down to rub at the sensitive spot just above where they were joined. She couldn’t help but moan and roll her hips at this, his touch sending sparks through her. 

The feeling as he moved against her, slowly and gently, felt good beyond words. But it wasn’t enough. She thought back to the previous night, the snap of his hips against hers as he’d lost the last shreds of his control.

She bit her lip, uncertain of how to ask for what she wanted. “Could you go faster?”

He frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "Are you sure I won't hurt you?"

Her heart melted at his constant concern for her well-being, but she just nodded. "I'm sure."

He angled his hips against her and gave a more forceful push. 

"Oh!" she gasped, seeing stars. He'd hit the same place inside her that had felt so incredible when he'd curled his fingers in her earlier. "Do that again!"

Grinning at her enthusiasm, he did just that.

She held onto him tightly, trying to keep herself grounded in reality as he built up their pace. The drive of his hips into hers, the feeling of his fingers working her, had her quickly losing her mind.

She could tell he was struggling too, his expression growing tight, his jaw clenched. He was panting, straining from the effort of his movements, holding himself up with one arm as his other hand worked to please her.

“Let me do that,” she whispered, drawing his fingers away from her and replacing them with her own, mirroring the circles he’d been tracing.

With a grateful look, he braced himself more steadily atop her and refocused his attention on the pace of his thrusts, the angle of his hips.

It was all quickly becoming too much for her. Too much for both of them if the noises he was making were any indication. The feeling of him hitting just right inside her, just hard enough to leave her trembling, had her threatening to fall to pieces.

"Keep going, keep going," she pleaded, still working herself feverishly with her fingers.

"Oh god, Cardia," he groaned, his eyes closed, his face tight. "You feel so good. You're perfect. You have no idea how much I need you - I'm so close. I want to feel you come so badly... Please..." 

She didn't even think he knew what he was saying, too lost in sensation. She wanted to tell him that she felt it too, all of those same, overpowering emotions, but the only sounds that spilled from her lips were moans, the only words his name.

She felt her breath start to catch, the heat in her burning out of control. She felt herself tightening around him, which only made the feeling of his movements even more pronounced. He grabbed hold of her hips tightly, driving himself into her uncontrollably as he reached the edge of his own release.

It was all too much. She felt the crash of his hips against hers, the frantic brush of her own fingers against herself, the way he hit that spot inside her with every thrust. Hearing the sounds he made as he became dangerously close to becoming undone was just too much.

She cried out, closing her eyes and losing herself completely as she trembled and tightened around him, sensation sweeping through her. He groaned and buried his face against her shoulder, holding her to him desperately as he spilled himself deep within her.

As the last of her orgasm faded away, Cardia felt happy and sated. 

To experience something so intimate, so intense with another person was more than she had ever hoped for. Overwhelmed with emotion, she blinked back tears before he could see them.

He moved to her side but held her close, placing a kiss against the top of her head.

"I love you," he said softly.

She knew it even without words though. What he felt for her was in his gaze, his touch, his kisses.

"I love you too," she breathed. "So much I don't know how to express it."

He smiled as he pressed kisses along her forehead, his hands rubbing circles across her back.

“Victor?” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

He opened his eyes just a bit, already feeling the pull of sleep. Meeting his gaze, her heart felt full of emotion. She knew the answer already, but she needed to ask. Needed to hear the voice of the man she loved so dearly one more time before she fell asleep.

“Can we do more of this tomorrow night?”

Victor smiled his gentle smile and brought his hand up to caress her face. Leaning forward, he gave her a slow, loving kiss. She felt a deep sense of peace and satisfaction, like all was well in the world as long as she was by his side.

“If you’d like, we can do this every night.”

Snuggling into his arms, his touch, Cardia knew full well she would take him up on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed.


End file.
